General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What is the youngest age at which it should be possible to sentence someone to life without parole? [View all]Aerows
(39,961 posts)it depends on the nature of the crime. One size doesn't fit all, nor does one law fit every crime or defendant. In the case of Philip Chism, because of the clearly premeditated and grisly nature of the crime, I don't think it should be anywhere near out of the realm of possibility. This is an individual that clearly does not need to be free in society. Whether that means being confined to a psychiatric facility or prison is up for debate, but keeping him away from people he could harm is absolutely necessary.
A 14 year old that gets into an argument with another 14 year old and one of them kills the other is nowhere near the same situation as Chism. The end result is the same - someone is dead - but that isn't anywhere near the same situation as a premeditated, clearly planned murder.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Chism has committed other violent acts that he wasn't caught for (animal abuse, etc).
So the answer is, it depends. It could probably go to 13 if the crime was heinous enough. There are somethings that are so horrific that you simply cannot put someone away for a few years and then declare that they are fit for society. If not prison, like I said, at least confined to a psychiatric facility where they can be monitored for a LONG time until they are at least reasonably safe to interact with society in a controlled manner.